What’s On Your Catholic Bucket List?

Bucket lists. You know what I’m talking about right? Bucket lists are those wish lists that we have tucked away in the back of our minds of all the crazy things we want to accomplish before we die. Things like climbing Mount Everest, winning the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest, and going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Anyone out there have those items on their short list? Don’t worry – I don’t want to do any of those things either. To be honest, most of my bucket list items are pretty simple – making memories with my family and friends and living a life worthy enough to earn me the heavenly welcome of “Well done, good and faithful servant” when I die. (Mt 25:21) I do however, have a pretty specific Catholic bucket list that I would like to do and experience before I die. I am blessed to have already checked off a few items on my Catholic bucket list – including a ten day trip to Rome which resulted in my conversion during the Jubilee Year of 2000 at a Mass celebrated by Saint John Paul II (really doesn’t get much better than that). More recently, my husband and I had the privilege of venerating the relics of my favorite saint, St. Maria Goretti on the tour of her major relics to the United States. Seeing her relics had been a dream of mine for many years!1. Read the scriptures and the catechism. Oh sure, I have read most of the Scriptures and the catechism over the years, but I have never read them both straight through – end to end. Maybe it’s just my slightly over-organized personality, but I really like finishing books from beginning to end. Of all the things on my bucket list, this is the one that is most easily achievable (I